1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to coffee makers, and pertains more particularly to an applicator and method for transferring circular paper filters from a stack or supply of such filters into the perforated coffee maker basket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of coffee makers, particularly those of the percolator type, make use of flat circular filters of fibrous material, usually paper. These filters have a centrally located hole so that the filters can be manually inserted downwardly into the interior of a perforated coffee maker basket. When properly inserted, the basket tube projects upwardly through the centrally disposed hole. In some types of filters of the envisaged type there is a U-shaped slit forming a tab or flap that is flexed upwardly when the filter is manually moved downwardly within the coffee maker basket.
Inasmuch as a stack of circular filter papers tend to stick together, it becomes rather bothersome to remove a single filter from the top of a stack of such filters. Frequently, two or more filters are removed, which is costly over a period of time because only individual filters are needed when brewing coffee. To some degree, the flow of coffee downwardly through a number of filters is slowed or retarded. In any event, the ordinary user of coffee makers finds it sufficiently troublesome as far as not separating the filters so the end result is that more filters are used than are needed.
No known device exists which enables the user to pick up a single paper filter from a stack of such filters and transfer it conveniently into a perforated coffee maker basket. This, as indicated above, is done manually by the individual user.